Finals: Steve Rubin vs. Seth Manfield

No surprise here. We got B/u Devotion against U/W Control in the finals. Will Steve Rubin and Pack Rat take it down or will Seth Manfield take home the trophy thanks to the Azorius guild?

Game 1

Steve sideboards with one game between him and the trophy.

Steve kept his opener while Seth sent his back for a better six. The first play of the game was Pack Rat for Steve on turn 2 while Seth started with two Islands. Steve attacked for 1 and passed while Seth had a third Island so Steve made a rat at the end step. Steve attacked for 4 and went for an Underworld Connections, but Seth had the Dissolve. Seth found a white source in Temple of Enlightenment and passed.

Steve killed off Jace with the Zombie and played a follow-up Demon. Seth found a Supreme Verdict to clear the board and passed. Steve played Pack Rat and passed so Seth tried to use a Sphinx’s Revelation, but Steve had the Negate. Steve added a Mutavault to his lands and attacked for 1 with his Rat before passing. Seth drew and shipped the turn right back so Steve made a rat and Seth responded with a Revelation for four. After some debating, Steve emptied his hand to make another rat.

Steve untapped, activated his land and attacked for 14 to drop Seth to 9. Seth played Elspeth, Sun’s Champion and made three soldiers before passing with two open mana. Steve attacked Seth with his three rats so Seth blocked two of them with soldiers. Steve activated Mutavault, but Seth sent the actual Pack Rat to the top of Steve’s deck with an Azorius Charm. Steve ended his turn by killing Elspeth with a Hero’s Downfall. Seth played an Aetherling and a Mutavault before passing back.

Steve drew a card and shipped the turn back. Seth added a Jace to his board and rolled it down to get a land and a Detention Sphere. Seth played the land and the Sphere to get rid of the rats and said “go.” Steve played a replacement Pack Rat, but Seth had the Dissolve. Steve had no other play so Seth attacked with the shapeshifter and his land so Seth pumped four times to knock Steve to 8. Seth plussed Jace and flickered Aetherling before passing. Steve drew a card and scooped up his cards.

Seth played another temple and a Detention Sphere for the 6/6. Steve landed a Connections on a Swamp and drew a card immediately, finding him a temple he added to his board. Seth had another Sphere to exile the Connections and passed back. Steve deployed a Pack Rat and passed with three open mana. Seth played a land and Steve made a rat as he passed so Seth responded with a Revelation for three.

Steve attacked for 4 with his rats to drop Seth to 19 and passed. Seth found a Jace he ticked down to get a Dissolve and a land – a temple he played then passed. Steve went to make a rat so Seth used a Last Breath on the original rat in response. Steve killed Jace with one rat and knocked Seth to 17 before landing an Erebos, God of the Dead. Needing answers, Seth fired off a Jace’s Ingenuity on his turn then discarded down to seven. Steve went for a Duress, but Seth Dissolved to keep his hand a mystery so Steve drew a card off Erebos. Steve knocked Seth to 11 with his rats and passed.

Seth cleared away the rats with a Supreme Verdict and shipped the turn. Steve played a fresh Pack Rat, but Seth had another Dissolve. Steve landed a Connections on his and drew a card then played a land and Thoughtseized Seth to see a stacked hand of two copies of Elspeth, a Sphinx’s Revelation, and a Charm. Steve took the Revelation and fell to 16.

Seth played his first Elspeth and made three soldiers and ended his turn by attacked with a Mutavault. Steve drew off Connections then played a Lifebane Zombie and a land before using a Hero’s Downfall on the Elspeth. Seth animated a Mutavault and attacked with it and the three soldiers. Steve put the God in front of the land and took three as Seth sent Erebos to the top of Steve’s deck with the Charm. Seth landed the second Elspeth and made more tokens before passing, Steve went to 9 off Connections and attacked Seth to 8 with the Zombie then replayed his God and used another Downfall on the Elspeth.

Seth decided to revelate for three, without the life gain due to Erebos, and went into the tank. Seth opted for a Detention Sphere to exile Erebos and attacked for 6 with his soldiers to drop Steve to 3. Steve went to 2 off the Connections and attacked for 5 and played a Gray Merchant of Asphodel for the win!